The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is reviewing its existing drug-pricing formula to improve price assessments and ensure fair medicine prices. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division Senator Ahad Cheema chaired a meeting in Islamabad on October 26 to review pending drug-pricing cases and the current pricing mechanism.
Officials informed the meeting that the case-by-case evaluation of pending drug-pricing cases is almost complete. Cheema appreciated the progress and directed officials to move the cases forward for further processing. The meeting was also informed that sufficient quantities of the World Health Organization-recommended trivalent flu vaccine are available in the market, prompting DRAP to withdraw the vaccine’s hardship case.
DRAP is examining provisions in the existing pricing formula that may hinder accurate price determination. Cheema urged the authority to consider specialised drug-pricing databases to support independent assessments, stressing that unjustified price increases are unacceptable.
He also called for a people-centred pricing mechanism that uses international benchmarks while avoiding unnecessary hurdles for medicine importers and pharmaceutical companies. Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik, Secretary Health Momin Agha, DRAP CEO Dr. Obaidullah, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
